If you’ve ever done any research on the Environmental Working Group website, you’ve probably realized how many household and cleaning products are hazardous to the environment and/or your health. In an effort to limit the number of outside chemicals used in our home — especially those that come into contact with the kiddos — I decided to try and make most of our cleaning products myself.

There’s plenty of information out there on the web about how to DIY your own cleaning solutions, and after a little online sleuthing I set to work making ours and found it surprisingly easy and cost-effective. It requires a bit of an investment at the start, but overall I’ve found that my homemade recipes go further than the “traditional” cleaners I used before, and because I purchase the ingredients in bulk they end up costing less over time. Making my own products has also drastically cut down on the single-use plastic bottles coming into our home as well.

I’ve tried multiple recipes and have listed out the ones I use and like below. I tested multiple laundry detergent recipes before landing on one I liked (that post is coming up tomorrow!), and also tried both homemade dish soap and dishwasher soap, but hated both and so haven’t included those recipes here.

You don’t need a whole host of items to make your own cleaning products, and you can buy pretty much everything in bulk at Costco and/or on Amazon for cheap. If you’re interested in making your own cleaning products, below are the recipes I use, with a linked ingredient list at the bottom of the post for shopping ease.

Recipes:

All-Purpose Surface Spray
1/2 cup distilled white vinegar
1 cup purified water
20 drops essential oil
*I like to use a mix of seasonal/citrus essential oils in this for the kitchen spray and tea tree essential oil for the bathroom spray

Wood Furniture Spray
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup purified water
20 drops essential oil
*I like to use eucalyptus or pine, and sometimes mix it with lemon

Glass Spray
1/4 cup rubbing alcohol
2-3 drops liquid castile soap
1/4 cup distilled white vinegar
2 cups purified water
10 drops citrus essential oil

Tub and Tile Scrub
1/4 cup liquid castile soap
10 drops tea tree or thieves essential oil
1 cup baking soda
*add ingredients to a mason jar in the order listed, then shake to combine

Sink/Stove/Counter Abrasive Cleaner
I use straight baking soda mixed with a tiny bit of water and use a microfiber cloth or scrub brush

Shopping List:

Cleaning:
Baking Soda
Distilled White Vinegar
Liquid Castile Soap
Purified Water
Rubbing Alcohol
Essential Oils*: tea tree, thieves (this is a less expensive dupe), lemon, eucalyptus, pine, grapefruit, tangerine, orange
*My recommendation would be to start with three essential oils: 1. tea tree or thieves, 2. eucalyptus or pine, and 3. a citrus. This is a nice starter mix, though you may want to add on a citrus oil to it. This assortment is a nice mix if you want more than one citrus option. This is also a great comprehensive starter pack.

Storage:
Glass amber bottles (I use 8, 16, and 32 oz bottles)
Mason jars
Old-school label maker (if you’re extra type-A like me)